Duke Energy Wants To Pay Less For Rooftop Solar Project

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The largest electric company in the U.S. wants to change a rule designed to spur rooftop solar energy production and pay North Carolina shops and homeowners less to generate power.

Duke Energy vice president Rob Caldwell said Thursday the company wants state utilities regulators to reduce the price the Charlotte-based company pays for rooftop solar power.

The current policy for what's called "net metering" allows owners of rooftop solar systems to use electricity they generate from the sun and sell any surplus to Duke Energy at 11 cents per kilowatt hour. That's the same price households pay for electricity but more than the 5 cents to 7 cents Caldwell said it costs Duke to generate power using industrial-scale solar farms and other methods.